Description

Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile when a group of rebels snatch her as she reluctantly travels home. The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not an obedient captive. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide whatand whoit is they're fighting for.show more

Review quote

Praise for The Traitor's Game A New York Times bestseller

"The next big YA fantasy." -- Entertainment Weekly

"One of the Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Books of 2018" -- Bustle

"We were immediately caught up in Kestra's story, plotting beside a heroine made of strength, bravery and intelligence. Her complicated relationship with Simon and the danger sewn into every moment of her father's palace politics kept us flipping pages in time with each jaw-dropping plot twist." -- Justine Magazine

"Fantasy, action and romance combine for a whirlwind ride in Jennifer A. Nielsen's The Traitor's Game!" -- Girls' Life

"One of the Most Anticipated YA Books of 2018" -- Hypable

"Nielsen creates wonderful characters in all of her novels, and she is especially talented at writing complex, intriguing females who refuse to fit into any neat categories. The first in her engrossing Traitor's Game series introduces readers to another fascinating heroine, who disrupts the plans and plots laid to trap her and insists on controlling her own narrative....Engrossing, emotional and offers plenty of promise for the series to come." -- RT Book Reviews

"This rip-roaring tale has action galore with battle scenes, kidnappings, murder, intrigue, and romance....Nielsen has created a compelling world where little is as it seems." -- School Library Connection

"Nielsen does a masterful job keeping readers off guard while tightening the screws of tension throughout, satisfying even the most reluctant readers." -- School Library Journal

"The twists and turns of the plot make for compelling reading that should especially entertain fans of Nielsen's Ascendance trilogy." -- The Horn Book

"The Traitor's Game is intrigue and adventure with a bold heroine, some forbidden romance and plenty of twists along the way." -- Shelf Awareness

"The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen, is an action-packed story that leaves you yearning for more. The new book is an amazing addition to Nielsen's repertoire . . . Fit with a feisty heroine and some tough kidnappers, The Traitor's Game keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout." -- The Missourian
"Kestra may be one of my favorite characters of all
time. She is courageous, bold beyond belief and also positively petulant, with a tendency for tantrums. The perfect protagonist for this adventurous, action-packed fantasy. Mixed with a bit of magic, a completely captivating saga is created; a stellar start to a tempting trilogy." -- Buried Under Books

"If you like your heroines fierce, your heroes protective, their loyalties divided, their missions complex, their motivations hidden, their lives full of secrets, The Traitor's Game is an absolute must." -- Fiktshun

Praise for the Ascendance Trilogy:

A New York Times Notable Children's Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Children's Book
A Cybils Award Winner

"Like Anne Frank before her, Gerta is small but mighty, a hardheaded heroine who dreams up big ideas and refuses to give up in the face of adversity and danger. Nielsen (Mark of the Thief) evokes the constant unease of life in a divided Berlin through Gerta's sober narration... but the family never loses sight of the power of humility and forgiveness." -- Publishers Weekly

"Nielsen, best known for her fantasy novels, proves she is equally skilled at historical fiction in this solidly structured, balanced account of the origins of an infamous historical landmark... The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page." -- School Library Journal

"The novel's Roman mythology connections... will have great appeal for fans of Rick Riordan. Heavily plot-driven with a movie-script feel." -- Booklist

Praise for The Scourge

"A strong, feisty main character... narrates a story that is equal parts adventure, mystery, and political intrigue." -- The Horn Book

"Ani's willingness to help others, a hard battle in herself as she tries to get over long-held assumptions, demonstrates effectively how emergencies can bridge distances." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Nielsen provides readers with a strong, three-dimensional heroine and a plot that will keep readers guessing." -- School Library Connection

"The characters are well defined and memorable. Feisty Ani, a likable character who is thoughtful and strong, drives the story forward and keeps readers wanting to know more... A solid choice for readers who enjoy tales of strong heroines set in the ever-popular dystopian genre." -- School Library Journalshow more

About Jennifer A. Nielsen

Jennifer A. Nielsen is the acclaimed author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Ascendance Trilogy: The False Prince, The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne. She also wrote the New York Times bestselling Mark of the Thief trilogy: Mark of the Thief, Rise of the Wolf, and Wrath of the Storm; the stand-alone fantasy The Scourge; the historical thriller A Night Divided; the second book in the Horizon series, Deadzone; Book Six of the Infinity Ring series, Behind Enemy Lines; and The Traitor's Game, the first book in a series of the same name. Jennifer lives in northern Utah with her husband, their three children, and a perpetually muddy dog.show more

Rating details

964 ratings

3.71 out of 5 stars

5
26% (251)

4
35% (339)

3
27% (261)

2
8% (79)

1
4% (34)

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